Loose leaf binding



I March 7, 1939. v. CATlNl LOOSE LEAF BINDING Filed Oct. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR,

Filed Oct. 5, i955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR,

Patented Mar. 7, 1939 parish s'rarss PATENT QFFIQE LOUSE LEAF BINDING Application October 5, 1935, Serial No. 43,735

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to an arrangement for binding a stack of sheets, and also to a loose-leaf assembly so bound, and coordinately therewith it relates to a method of associating the elements of such an assembly.

The general object of my invention is to provide a simple and improved arrangemenu whereby a stack of sheets can be associated together for assembly and disassembly and for removal of any selected sheet, and to provide a loose-leaf assembly comprising a stack of sheets bound within a cover member.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated several embodiments of my invention and the manner of practicing the same in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing elements of a loose leaf assembly in unassembled relation, and indicating the method of assembly thereof;

Figure 2 is a view in perspective indicating the completed assembly with portions thereof broken away to disclose the construction, and with an element in a position in which it is possible to remove the sheets;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the assembled binder with the parts thereof in such a position that the sheets of the stack are locked in place, and indicating the manner of effecting the locking operation;

Figure 4 is a section on the line' l i of Figure 3, on a greatly enlarged scale, portions being broken away; I

Figure 5 is an end view of the completed assembly on a greatly enlarged scale, with the cover in closed position;

I Figure 6 is a plan View of an intermediate product produced during the course of one manner of forming the binding element; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view, similar to the showing of Figure 4, of a modified construction.

The structural features of my assembly will now be described in connection with the method of its assembly, and for this purpose I will refer particularly to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive.

Referring first to Figure 1 it will be observed that I there show a stack of sheets It having a member l2 associated therewith in such a manner that the perforations M in the member l2 are superposed over and register with the perforations it (see Figure 2) of the stack, these latter being shown as uniformly spaced. This superposition indicates a convenient manner for forming the perforations l4 and I6, namely to superpose the member l2 and the stack H] in such a way that the perforations in both may be formed by a single punching or drilling operation. It will be obvious that the member l2 need not necessarily occupy the position in relation to the stack ll! that is indicated in Figure 1. It might for example be placed so that the notches 48 shown on the outer edge thereof overlie the stack, or for still greater accuracy of registration it might be placed in the last-mentioned position, but inverted so that when it is brought into the position of Figure 1 the perforations Hi and IE will, on again turning member i2 right side up be brought into the same spaced relation that they occupied during the perforating operation. For this reason the latter method is to be recommended where the spacing of the perforations is not uniform, either intentionally, or due to inaccuracy of manufacture.

As will be observed from Figure 1, the member 12 comprises two portions or flaps 22 and 24, hingedly related to each other in any suitable or preferred manner such as for example by forming a fold or crease 20 running longitudinally thereof, where the material is flexible cardboard. It will further be observed that the notches 3 are formed on the outer edge of flap 22 while the perforations are near the outer edge of flap 24, and that they are equal in number to and register with the perforations M, so that when the fiap 22 is folded over the flap 24 the notches are in opposed registration to the perforations of the stack as clearly appears from Figure 3. From Figures 3, 4 and 5 it further appears that the flap 22 is shorter than the flap 24.

The next step in the assembly involves the insertion of a binding element 26 into the perforations M and it. This binding element 26 is shown as of comb-like construction, comprising teeth 28, of a number and a spacing so that they are adapted to register with the perforations i l and it, and these teeth are shown as formed with a straight portion 3 angularly related to a portion 32 that may be described as being in the form of an open ring, and connecting the teeth 28 are portions 34, shown as substantially straight, although not necessarily so, and these portions are aligned for a purpose that will become clear as the description proceeds. The binding element 26 is associated with the member I2 and the stack Ii] by inserting the teeth 28 thereof into the perforations I4 and Hi in over and in adjacency to the flap 24 of member l2.

In Figure 2 the assembly of Figure 1 is shown in inverted position and as having added thereto a cover member 36 comprising sections 38 and 40 joined together by a hinge-like portion 42, which, if the cover is of flexible cardboard may be produced by corrugating or crimping, but if the cover is of other material not permitting such procedure it may be of any suitable or preferred form, such for example as a section of flexible material interposed between sections 38 and 40. The member i2 is held in place on the cover section 38 in any suitable or preferred manner,

such as by the staples 44, shown in the drawings. By way of example four of these staples are 7 shown, although it will be obvious that the number may be varied. As a result of the joining of member I2 to cover section 38, the binding -element 26 will have its portions 34 locked in place, with the ring portions 32 within the perforations M and i6 and the straight portions 30 protruding; It will also be seen that the binding element 2E is capable of a pivotal movement about the axis of the elements 34. It will further be obvious that the sheets of the stack, when the assembly is in the position of Figure 2, may be readily removed by sliding them over the teeth 28 of the binding element 26 and, by reversing the steps, sheets may as readily be inserted therein. By angling the member 26 into the position 260, indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4, the operation of removing or inserting sheets is further facilitated.

In order to lock the sheets in place so that they will be securely held against accidental removal, the flap 22 is folded into the position indicated in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3 this operation is shown as partially completed, the remote portions not yet having reached their final position. In Figure 4 the are 46 indicates the path of the end of the flap 22 and it will be observed from this figure that the flap 22 is of such length that the are 46 indicating the path of travel of its end intersects the inner ends of the upper sheets of the stack 10. To bring it into the position of Figure 4 therefore requires the distortion of the flap 22 to such an extent that it may pass the projecting portion of the stack, and once it is past this position it will be held there, and will prevent removal of sheets from the stack as long as it is in this position.

Figure 5 shows the loose leaf assembly constituting my invention in closed position, and it will be obvious from this figure how securely all the parts are locked in place. The stack in has been brought into superposition over the folded member l2, which is then in its locked position, so that the latter cannot possibly open to release the sheets, as long as the assembly is closed.

In Figures is indicated one manner of forming the binding element 26. As there shownit is made of a-continuous piece of wire bent into the shape shown in Figure 6 and initially all the contours of Figure 6 would lie in a single plane. Thereafter the portions 32 lying intermediate the imaginary line AA and the parts 3d would be bent into the arched form shown in Figure. 1

While the portions below the line AA would lie.

straight.

It will be observed that the binding element 26 may be considered as made up of a series of repeated units, one such unit being indicated in Figure 6, as included between the line's-'BB and C-C, and it will be seen that this unit is substantially U-shaped and comprises an element 34 and two leg portions 280, and 28b springing at an angle from the ends of the element 34. In forming an element comprising a number of units the leg portions 2% of each unit is united at its free end to the free end of the leg portions 28a of the adjacent unit.

Particular attention is here called to the peculiar conformation of the comb teeth 28 in the illustrative embodiment shown in the drawings. It will be observed that thering portions 32 are shown as contoured on an arc of a circle, and that the straight portions 30 are shown as projecting substantially in a radialdirection from one end of this are. 7

While I have shown the binding element 26 as made of wire it will be obvious that other materials, such for example as sheet metal, may be used to attain the required comb-like conformation.

In Figure 7 I have indicated a modified construction that has advantages for certain purposes over the form of Figures 1 to 5. In this form'the binding element 28 is shown as inserted through the perforations I6 of a stack 10 and through the perforations Id of a member I2 that comprises the flap 22 provided with notches l8 registering with the perforations M of the flap 2d. The flaps 22 and 24" which are'connected in hinged relation at 59,'areof such size as to constitute one of the covers of the assembly, and the other cover is constituted by a third flap 6!) connected to the flap 24' in hinged relation at 62, a hinge for this: purpose being conveniently formed where the material is elastic-cardboard, by crimping or bending or otherwise rendering the same flexible in the desired region. A'strip 64 is fastened respectively to the flaps 24 and 60 so' as to hold the longitudinally aligned elements 3A- of the member 26 in fixed relation to the flexible portion 62.

It will be obvious that many other modifications may be readily devised by those skilled in the art, without departing from the'spirit of my invention, and that the disclosure herein is by way of illustration only, and is not to be construed in a limiting sense, and that I do not limit myself in any way other than as called for by the language of the appended'claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1." In a loose leafassembly comprising a stack of sheets perforated along one edge, a cover member and a'binder adapted to-connect the loose sheets to the cover member: a binder comprising open ring members adapted to pass through the perforations in the stack, and said ring 'members being connected serially by longitudinally aligned spacing elements, and the cover member having means thereon adapted to holdsaid spacing elements in pivotal relation to the cover memher; and also having a hinged element thereon adapted to; have portions thereof overliethe ends of said'ri'ng members, and thereby to act as stops preventing removal of the sheets from saidring members.

' 2. Aloose leaf assembly'comprising a stack of sheets perforated along one edge, a cover member and a binder adapted'to connect the-loose sh'eets'to the cover member, the binder being made of open ring members adapted'to pass through the openings inthe stack, and said-ring members being connected serially by longitudinally aligned spacing elements;- and the cover member' havingmeans thereon adapted to hold said spacing elements in pivotal relation to the cover member, and also having a hinged element thereon adapted to have portions thereofoverlie the free ends of said ring members, and thereby to act as stops preventing removal of the sheets from said ring members, said extending portions being sufficiently long to engage the portions of the stack extending into the area within the ring members, whereby when said hinged element is in the position in which it functions as a stop, said last mentioned stack portions will oppose its assuming a position in which it permits removal of the sheets from the ring members.

3. A loose leaf assembly comprising a stack of sheets perforated along one edge, a cover member and a binder adapted to connect the loose sheets to the cover member, the binder being made of permanently open ring members adapted to pass through the openings in the stack, and said ring members being connected serially by longitudinally aligned spacing elements, and the cover member having means thereon adapted to hold said spacing elements in pivotal relation to the cover member, and also having a hinged element thereon adapted to have portions thereof overlie the ends of said ring members, and thereby to act as stops preventing removal of the sheets from said ring members, said hinged element being so positioned that when the cover member and stack are in closed position, the stack will overlie said hinged element and hold it in the position in which it prevents removal of the sheets.

4. In a loose leaf assembly comprising a stack of sheets perforated along one edge, a cover member and a binder adapted to connect the loose sheets to the cover member: a binder made of open ring members adapted to pass through the openings in the stack, and the cover member having a hinged flexible member thereon adapted to cover the free ends of the open ring members and obstruct their movement and said cover member also having a portion thereof adapted to receive the opposite ends of the ring members.

5. In a book which comprises a backing that carries a metal binder and a plurality of perforated sheets, in which the perforations are spaced along one edge of the sheets: a binder carried by the backing comprising continuous metal stock which is bent to provide a series of ring-like,

sheet-holding members, each ring-like, sheetholding member comprising a double thickness of the stock material, and being adapted to pass through one of the said perforations in the sheets, and each of said members terminating in a short tongue also comprising a double thickness of the stock material and extending outwardly from said members, a series of connecting members comprising a single thickness of stock material, said connecting members joining one of the sections of stock material forming each ring-like, sheet-holding member and an adjoining section of stock material forming part of the next adjoining ring-like, sheet-holding member, said binder being adjustable by rotation with respect to said sheets, in order to position the ends of the short tongues beneath the stack of sheets, and permitting the book to be opened and the sheets retained in the book by the inter-engagement of the ring-like, sheet-holding members of the binder with the perforations of the sheets, and the backing which carries the binding having an associated hinged cover, beneath which cover the short tongues may be positioned, the cover being flexible in order that the tongues may be freely moved from beneath the cover.

6. A loose-leaf binding construction comprising a stack of perforated sheets; a member having two hingedly related sections adapted to be brought into superposed relation, one of said sections having a series of slots therein extending inwardly from its free edge, and the other of said sections having a row of perforations therein, said row being positioned in spaced parallel relation to the slotted free edge of said first-named section, when said sections are superposed, and the perforations of said row being pitched and positioned so as to register in spaced relation, one with each of said slots; a comb-like binding element comprising a series of teeth spaced so that each tooth will be adapted to enter one of said perforations and said teeth being connected by longitudinally extending connecting members that will act as stops when said teeth are inserted into the perforations, due to their abutment against the wall of said perforated section, and said teeth having portions adapted to pass through the perforations of said stack of sheets and to pass through the inner portions of the slots of said slotted section, and each of said teeth further having the free end thereof adapted to pass underneath the unslotted portion of said slotted section, and the end portions of said slotted sections between the slots being of such extent that they are adapted to engage an edge of the stack whereby said stack will serve to keep said sections substantially in superposed relation, and whereby the slotted section will act as a stop to prevent disengagement of the teeth from the perforations of the stack.

VINCENZO CATINI. 

